Infant&#39;s play yard



Patented ug. 14, 1945 INFANTS PLAY YARD I' Rubert C. Bockus, Gardner, and Henry J. Landry, South Ashburnham, Mass., assignors to Gem Crib and Cradle Company, Gardner, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application July 13, 1943, Serial N o. 494,488

6 Claims.

This invention relates to infants play yards y or pens and the like, and the principal objects ofthe invention include the provision of an articleof manufacture of the class described which avoids the use of metal hardware but which still is foldable in the nature of the conventional play yard and is strong and sturdy; and the provision of a novel corner block having -threefunctions and serving as ar support, a pivot piece for the yard bottom or floor element, and as a pivot for the folding side frame walls.

Other objects and advantages of `the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the .accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side view of a play yard according to the invention and showing bottom or floor raised;

Fig. 2 is a side view of one end of the play yard'showing the attached bottom or floor element raised;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged View of the corner block;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the yard with a bottom or floor element raised;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view of the yard in folded condition and having parts broken away; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the corner block.

The new play yard comprises a pair of oppo- 30 ing oor elements.

site walls each having bottom rail I0, top rail I2, and connecting spindles I4. These walls are rigid and form the outer sides of the play yard when collapsed. Corner blocks I6, each having an outline as represented in Fig. 3,are secured to rails IIJ at theirends, and these blocks not only provide thecorner supports but also form pivot blocks for the bottom or floor elements I8 and for the folding side frames 20.

Each corner block I6 has a cut-out recess at 22 to receive the bottom rails I0, see Fig. 1, and an oppositely extending tongue 24 receiving the bifurcatedl ends 26 of the bottom rails of the folding side frames 20. Pins 3D pivot these parts together and for easier swinging they are rounded off, see Fig. 5.

Complementary top blocks 32 secured at the ends of rails I2 are provided with tongues 25 similar to tongues 24 and are received between the arms of a yoke at 21 formed by bifurcations in the ends of the top rails of the frames 20. Pins 29 pivot the tonguesto the yoke. are pivoted together on pins 3| passing thru bifurcations at 33* receiving pivoted blocks 34.

Bottom or floor elements I8 comprise slats 36 secured to a plurality of bottom cross cleats one-half of the Frames 20 38. One cleat has blocks 40 thereon for ground support, and the other cleats stop short of the outside slat providing space for short longitudinal cleats 42. Cleats l42 are provided with end 5 dowels 44 for reception in bores 46 in corner blocks I6 so that the floor elementsl may be swung on horizontal axes from extended floor foriiling locations to folded vertical positions.

Stops 48 form rests for the floor elements and if desired pins 50 may be used to enter bores in stops 48 in extended condition of the floor elements to prevent lateral play of the parts.

The parts are easily assembled so far as the sides and folding frames are concerned, but the floor elements vare best assembled by turning the yard on its side and inserting a dowe1 44 in a corner block on the ground, arranging the floor elements in correct position, inserting a dowe1 44 on a loose cleat 42 in the upper corner block,

and nally securing the loose cleat to the slats and cleats 38 adjoining.

The entire play yard may be made of wood,

5D. Nails may be used if desired to aid in securing slats 36 to their cleats.

Particular attention is directed to the corner lblocks. I6 which act as ground supports and as pivot blocks -for the folding frames and the swing- Having thus described our invention and the yadvantages thereof, we do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what we claim is:

1. .A device of the class described comprising a.

pair of side walls, a pair of folding frames connecting the side walls in rectangularly spaced relation, a supporting corner block secured to each lower end of each side wall, a tongue ando yoke pivot joint connection connecting each block toa folding frame, and pivot joints at the top of each folding frame pivotally securing the latter to a side wall, said blocks supporting the sidewalls and folding frames, the latter folding inwardly toward each other.

2. A device as recited in claim 1 including dowe1 pins forming the pivots for the tongue and 'Y yoke pivot joints.

3. A device of the class described comprising a 50 pair of rigid side walls, a pair of infolding frames ing frame, and pivot joints at the topsy Qi the'side Walls swingably connecting the latter and the folding frames, all said pivot joints being on vertical axes, said blocks supporting the side Walls and thereby the folding frames.

4. A device of the class described comprising a pair of rigid side walls, a. supporting block secured to each lower end of each side Wall, in-folding frames pivoted to the blocks, and a pair of oor elements, each of said floor elements being pivoted to a separate pair of supporting blocks,

5. A device of the class described comprising a. pair of rigid side walls set up vertically in spaced CFI relation, a supporting block secured to each lower end of each side wall, irl-folding frames pivoted to the supporting blocks on vertical pivots, and oor elements each swingably mounted on the supporting blocks secured to each individual side wall, said floor elements swinging about a horizontal axis through the blocks.

` 6. A device as recited in claim 4 including tongue and yoke pivot connections between the folding frames and supporting blocks.

' RUBERT C. BOCKUS.

HEITRY J. LANDRY. 

